The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) is an award-winning independent think tank working to accelerate solutions for a stable climate, sustainable resource management, and fair economies. Our work inspires better decisions and sparks meaningful action to help people and the planet thrive. We shine a light on what can be achieved when governments, businesses, non-profits, and communities come together. IISD’s staff of more than 200 experts come from across the globe and from many disciplines. With offices in Winnipeg, Geneva, Ottawa, and Toronto, our work affects lives in nearly 100 countries.
IISD’s Economic Law and Policy (ELP) Program is devoted to supporting the elaboration and improvement of economic governance frameworks and tools that support the achievement of sustainable development objectives. ELP does so by developing research outputs, providing training and capacity support to relevant stakeholder groups, organizing conferences and dialogues, and various other approaches. Increasingly, our work involves a dedicated virtual component, both in terms of the events we deliver and the communications and outreach efforts we undertake. Our team includes lawyers, economists, policy analysts, and journalists, among others, who are located across various countries and world regions. The program encompasses several workstreams, including investment law and policy; international trade; agriculture; sustainability standards; sustainable finance, procurement, and infrastructure; and mining.
The Position
The Policy Advisor – Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) will lead the development and implementation of the overall MEL framework for flagship projects of the Nature-Based Infrastructure Global Resource Centre (NBI Centre) and consolidate learning on how best to design and implement NBI that is nature positive, climate resilient, and gender responsive. The NBI Centre aims to support governments and partners in capturing, assessing, reporting, and communicating the value of investing in NBI by providing customized valuations, financial strategies, technical assistance, and training.
The successful candidate will lead the design and implementation of the MEL framework for NBI flagship projects, including planning, coordinating, and implementing activities for data collection, analysis, reporting, and learning. The candidate will support implementation partners in the Global South, with a specific focus on sub-Saharan Africa, by providing training and technical support on the design and implementation of MEL systems. This will involve strengthening the capacity of partners to develop and implement site-specific MEL through the development of tools and processes to collect, analyze, and manage data and evidence on the project indicators for the purpose of reporting and communicating at both the outcome and impact levels (including annual household surveys, key informant interviews, rolling profiles, and focus group discussions). The successful candidate will be part of a multidisciplinary team, working closely with IISD staff, affiliates, consultants, and partners.
The successful candidate should understand the broader policy conversation and efforts about NBI, climate adaptation, biodiversity conservation, and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Responsibilities
The successful candidate’s key areas of responsibility will include but not be limited to:
Project MEL Coordination and Implementation
- Plan, organize, and oversee MEL programming for NBI Centre flagship projects and support reporting requirements on the projects’ Theory of Change.
- Work with multiple project partners across several sub-Saharan African countries to develop and implement MEL frameworks that capture how project activities are delivering climate adaptation, biodiversity, and gender impacts and benefits; who is benefiting from the programs; and if/where adjustments are needed over the course of the project.
- Work collaboratively with in-country partners, including government representatives, non-governmental organizations, and consultants, on implementing activities related to measuring, evaluating, and learning from the progress of the flagship projects.
- Design and deliver virtual and face-to-face workshops, training sessions, meetings, and other MEL-focused events of various sizes.
Research and Issues Tracking
- Conduct substantive reviews and research on different aspects of MEL systems related to NBI and climate adaptation, such as designing effective systems, data and information management, and indicator development.
- Establish and report against baseline targets and use mixed-method approaches to collect data against defined indicators for progress reporting.
- Analyze information collected through annual household surveys, structured interviews, rolling profiles, and focus group discussions.
- Write reports, papers, and briefs that accurately assess and synthesize research findings.
- Follow and summarize news and events pertaining to measuring progress in NBI and climate adaptation.
Engagement and Networking
- Work collaboratively with IISD colleagues and with partners in government, the private sector, and research and non-governmental organizations (as well as with consultants) in implementing the MEL frameworks for the NBI Centre flagship projects.
- Establish and actively maintain a network of partners and contacts working on measuring progress in NBI and climate adaptation to advance the strategic objectives of IISD in this area.
- Strengthen IISD’s involvement in relevant networks and initiatives around the world, in line with its objectives.
Communications and Outreach
- Prepare knowledge products and presentations that summarize and share the NBI Centre’s work on effective MEL systems for measuring NBI and climate adaptation.
- Share research results through webinars, workshops, conferences, and other events.
- Represent IISD at national and international forums.
Business Development
- Support other IISD personnel with the development of new project ideas and proposals on NBI and climate change adaptation.
- Work with ELP project managers to contribute to the preparation of narrative reports for funders.
Please note that the ELP team works across multiple time zones. We are looking for someone with a “can-do” work attitude who can work autonomously while proactively engaging with other team members, particularly those working in a remote and/or hybrid work environment.
Qualifications
Qualifications (Essential)
- A master’s degree or equivalent in international development, environmental studies, geography, conservation, or another similar area.
- Availability to travel internationally (about 25% of the time).
Knowledge and Experience (Essential)
- A minimum of 5 years of relevant work experience in MEL as it applies to climate change adaptation, biodiversity, sustainable infrastructure, or closely related topics, particularly in the Global South.
- Considerable experience developing and implementing project and program MEL strategies and plans and reporting on progress.
- A good understanding and experiential knowledge of implementing a result-based management approach, including familiarity with the Theory of Change and performance measurement frameworks.
- Knowledge of international development and experience working in the Global South.
Skills (Essential)
- Excellent coordination skills, with an ability to manage and prioritize multiple tasks and liaise with multiple stakeholders.
- Excellent data analysis skills, including knowledge of designing and implementing mixed methods: excellent quantitative data management, cleaning, visualization, and basic statistics, along with strong comparative and qualitative data analysis.
- Demonstrated ability to report against baseline targets and design mixed-method approaches to collect data against defined indicators for progress reporting.
- Ability to analyze information collected through annual surveys, structured interviews, rolling profiles, and focus group discussions.
- Strong research and analytical skills and the ability to become familiar with new topics quickly.
- Confident and engaging communication skills and an ability to synthesize information in plain language and tailor communications approaches to different audiences.
- Fluent in written and spoken English. French and/or Spanish language skills are considered an asset.
Behavioural Competencies (Essential)
- Be results-focused and able to work quickly and accurately to meet tight deadlines without compromising the quality of the results.
- Possess strong interpersonal skills and be able to work comfortably across different cultures.
- Be inclusive, positive, and able to communicate effectively.
Position Details
Location: Canada, where IISD has offices in Winnipeg, Ottawa, and Toronto
Remote work in other locations may be considered for exceptional candidates.
**Candidates must have the authorization to work in Canada during the time of their employment with IISD. IISD is not able to sponsor work permits.**
Salary:$60,405 - $73,061 CAD annually (based on experience)
Duration: 24-26 months (until December 2025)
Application deadline: October 1, 2023, by 10 p.m. EST.
Start Date: immediate opportunity
Application Procedure
Applications will only be accepted through Bamboo HR. Please include the following:
- A CV (no longer than two pages)
- A cover letter (one page)
- IISD Voluntary Self-Identification Questionnaire
- All submissions must be in English.
Only those candidates we wish to interview will be contacted. Resumes will be kept on file for one year.
IISD has implemented a COVID-19 Vaccination Policy that requires employees who are required or choose to be at an office or participate in in-person team events or in-person meetings/events to be fully vaccinated. Anyone unable to be fully vaccinated, either because of a sincerely held religious belief or a medical condition or disability that prevents them from being fully vaccinated, can request a reasonable accommodation.
IISD is committed to fostering a more equitable and sustainable world and welcomes candidates who uphold our values of diversity, equity, and inclusion. In addition, to correct the conditions of social injustice and disadvantage in employment around the world, we encourage candidates from historically marginalized groups, including women, Indigenous Peoples, people with disabilities, people from different racial and ethnic backgrounds, and those who identify themselves as 2SLGBTQIA+ to apply for this position. Preference will be given to the equity-deserving groups during the hiring process. We offer reasonable accommodations in our recruitment process and seek applicants’ advice on how best to accommodate their needs. Please self-identify and answer our employment equity questionnaire on our applicant tracking system when you apply.
IISD does not discriminate on the basis of age, gender, caste, ethnicity, religion, colour, disability, marital status, pregnancy, gender expression or identity, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected status.
